Promised Update on My Trip

As promised, here's a fun update on what's been going on since last time I blogged.

I've started my new job, working with a very rambunctious and rowdy little boy in kindergarten. It's an emotionally stressful job, because he can be really difficult, but it's also rewarding to know that I'm already having a positive impact. I have a pretty no-nonsense approach to him and his issues, and even though he doesn't like it, he's already realizing I'm the boss and responding well. Even his teachers are commenting that he's doing better with me watching him. Before this he wouldn't do any classwork at all, and will still probably flunk kindergarten, but now he's doing work every day, and daily progress reports to mom where he rewards himself with stars when I write down good behavior are a big part of that. He's also learning to sit still and behave himself in the classroom, even though that can be a struggle. I think the biggest problem was that his previous BMS worker wasn't firm enough and tried too hard to be a friend. I think it frustrates him that when he says things like "I don't like you." I tell him I don't care. Whether he likes me or not, he's got to learn to behave himself, and I'm there to stay.

I celebrated my 25th birthday by starting my new job last Tuesday. It's a bit odd to think of my birthday and that I'm a quarter of a century old, but really, it wasn't too big a deal.I didn't do anything too special either. We'd had a birthday party the previous weekend at my uncle's house, so my mum made lasagne for me for supper, and at TKD the students sang Happy Birthday to me.

The biggest news on this blog is concerning my trip to Colorado Springs to spend some time with friends. I had a great time, but I also had some interesting issues. I started reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and quite frankly I don't care for it at all. Bella and her insecurities and whining are irritating, and Edward, for how cute and protective and whatever else he is, is a controlling jerk a lot of the time too, and the writing was terrible. And yet, I'm curious to see what happens next, and whether she ever becomes a vampire like she was moaning about at the end of the last book and the beginning of the next. My friend described it accurately as "book-crack" and I can definitely see why it appeals to a certain age group. Very possibly because of my surroundings (I was the only single in a group of couple friends who were being rather disgustingly cute with each other) the book brought out a lot of emotions I haven't thought about in quite a long time. I'm a bit ashamed and frustrated that a book like this one could reduce me to such a thing, since it was like a replay of all the worst relationship issues of high school. Meh.

The trip itself though was great, though I think I'd like to drive and have more control over the car next time. I hate being reliant on others for transportation. I got to see Brian and Sami, we stayed at Ella's house (I love spending time with her, she's so much fun) I got to spend an afternoon with Philip, which was pleasurably spent geeking out, and I got to give my campus minister, who is still a very dear friend, a little gift. We went out for fondue, played Munchkin and Bibliomancy (hilarious results there, you basically pick any book and flip through it pointing to words at random and trying to construct meaningful sentences, and we played with the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Twilight, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) and I spent entirely too much money, got a lot of new books and a few other things, gifts for friends included. I was exhausted when I got home, but it was still a very enjoyable weekend.

General Update on Life

Mostly because I haven't posted in a while, an update on what's going on with me lately. I'm finally gonna start work next week, I'm going in today to get my final paperwork taken care of, since my background check FINALLY went through. I'm glad it finally happened, I've been going crazy. I like taking a little break after a job like the one I had before, which was making me miserable, but this has gone on too long, and I'm eating up my savings and getting really restless about doing nothing productive. I'll be chasing around a 5-year-old starting next week, so I won't be dull anymore.

Other news, my birthday is next week, the 17th, and I hit the quarter-century mark! No special plans for celebration on the actual day, but the weekend after it I'll be going up to visit my friends in Colorado Springs, which I'm looking forward to. I haven't been up there since October, and we're going for a longer weekend this time, my friend Cole and I. I'm a bit broke, so I don't have a lot to spend there, but I do hope we can do some celebratory things. Even though it's a bit pricey I'd love to go to the Melting Pot, just because I love fondue and have great memories of a previous birthday party there. Other than that no special plans yet. Everyone keeps asking me what I want for my birthday, but aside from a Wii, which I know no one is going to get me right now, there's not a lot I really do want. I'll update again after my trip, but for now, that's all from me.

Photo Tag!

Ok, this is a new one, haven't heard of photo tag before, but I guess I'll play along. It said to go to My Pictures, open the 4th folder, and post the 4th picture in said folder. Here we are. My fourth folder happened to be one of my FMA folders, and this image, I believe, is from the manga. Edward Elric is in the foreground, and his brother Alphonse (the suit of armor) is in the background, and as per usual, it looks like they're causing some destruction. This may even be a manga cover from an early volume, I forget. I got it ages ago from a picture request thread on the ASMB.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I had the greatest dream last night, and the best part was that I remember it so vividly. It seemed like a combination of some of the things I miss most and am most excited for in the coming months, and included people I haven't seen in ages. The first part of the dream involved theatre, and somehow some people, including a girl named Chelsea from my high school drama class, were putting an impromptu play on in my living room, which looked like a black box theatre. There was a pulley system on the curtain rods for drops, and Chels asked if anyone knew the fly lines, because they needed help. I said I did, since it was something I did well in college, and I remember also that the play was based on Fruits Basket, one of my favorite anime, and that they were using my mom's spider lamp for spotlights on a mobile that hung from a pipe with stuffed animals from the anime on it. Next thing I know I'm at a sort of B&B that reminded me of our retreat campus for school, called Baca, with a group of my friends, and we're all getting ready to go see the drag races. I realized that my two favorite racers, Tony and Cruz Pedregon, were staying there too, and talked for a bit with Cruz, which is unusual, since he's not as talkative or outgoing as his brother Tony. Then I was sitting outside with friends including my friend Matt from college, who was being a bit of a crybaby for some reason about a giant lollipop shaped like a teddy bear, and my friend Taylor from high school, who was showing me some tattoos on her chest, some which looked real and others that looked like she'd drawn them in marker. I woke up excited and hyper, looking forward to the race. I think this came from my dad saying we might try to go to the one in Phoenix in February, which we've never been to before. I think Baca came into the dream because I'm hoping to go there if I'm allowed to see my friends for our annual retreat with the school's Catholic Community. I only have a couple years left where there will be students I know well and am close to in the community since the ones who were freshmen when I was a senior are graduating next year. I have no idea how the random people wound up there, since I haven't thought about most of them in a while, but it was interesting nonetheless. As for theatre, it's one of the things I miss most from school. I loved working there in the drama department and learning all the different building and technical skills, then seeing the product of my work when the show went up, and then venting any frustration as I helped take it down.

My Best of 2008 List

My Best of List for 2008, mostly at Kate's urging, but I did have fun thinking about these things. And now on, with no further ado.

Best Film: Dark Knight- This was a worthy successor to Batman Begins. I have a soft spot for Batman anyway, and Christian Bale makes him that much more drool-worthy. Heath Ledger was spectacular and left an unforgettable Joker etched in all our memories. Aaron Eckhart was a very strong Harvey Dent, and the cinematography and all Batman's new toys were amazing. Fingers crossed for at least a couple Oscars for this film, including a very much-deserved Best Actor awarded posthumously to Mr. Ledger.

Best TV Show: Jon & Kate + 8- Currently TLC's highest rating show, this follows the family life of the Gosselins, who have a pair of 8 year old twins, Mady and Cara, and a set of 4 year old sextuplets, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel. Very realistic, and no touchy subjects avoided. We get to see the sweet moments, the tantrums and meltdowns, and even fights between Jon and Kate, not to mention opinions and insights from the adults and older children...even a bit from the little ones, now that they're able to articulate thoughts and feelings. Very refreshing to see a real family that you can agree and disagree with and not feel like you're stepping on toes.

Best Anime: One Piece- I've seen plenty of anime that are way better than One Piece, but since I first started it this year and enjoyed it way more than I expected to, it gets the honors. My original opinions were formed by the 4Kids dub, which was frankly horrible, but FUNi got hold of it and made vast improvements. I'm dying to find out what happens next, and also interested in starting the manga, if I can afford it. Honorable mentions: Shin Chan and Baccano! Neither of these won for various reasons, but again, I enjoy them and am looking forward to seeing more.

Best Manga: Fruits Basket- I know I've been reading this for some time, but it takes the top over any of the other things I've read in the past few years. From a somewhat silly story about people changing into animals under unusual circumstances, it's become a powerful and heartfelt story of love, trust, betrayal, and very real people trying to deal with all this on top of their zodiac curse. There are two issues left in the English release, things are starting to fall apart for the Sohma family, Tohru is caught in the thick of it, and I'm so worried about Kyo's fate that if it goes the way I don't want it to I'll be throwing things. I just wish the anime could get this far and hadn't stopped after the most minor of all the dramatic moments of the series.

Best Book: The Harry Potter Series- Again, not the first time I've read any of these, and certainly not something new from this year, but since I've been reading so much literary criticism and studying them so intensively with the intention of writing a critical paper on them as part of my entrance package for grad school that I've come to love them on a whole deeper level. A powerfully written story of the classic hero's journey with memorable characters, magic, mystery, and real emotion that lets you relate to the characters to a point I've rarely experienced without reading an autobiography. Honorable Mention: JRR Tolkien: A Biography- Heightened my respect for my absolute favorite writer of all time, and realizing his very strong ideals and values and everything that he's been through that led him to create Middle-Earth and the races and situations that make me long to be an Elf...nuff said.

Best Sports Moment: Cruz Pedregon's NHRA championship- He started the season not doing so well, making adjustments to new aspects of his car and getting a feel for those adjustments as a driver...you could say he started out in a rebuilding year, not expecting to shine. First an inconsistent car, and then an inconsistent driver were definitely against him. He made it to finals several times, but until right before the end of the season he hadn't won any, though he was still sixth in points. Three wins and a couple of key losses by points leader Tim Wilkerson put Cruz in a place he hasn't been for 18 years: Points leader and championship winner for the year. Looking forward to another great season by him and his brother Tony!

New Years List (Even Though I'm Still Waiting for Christmas to Finish)

Yeah, the reason I'm not up to date on my Christmas post is that for us Christmas isn't really over yet, since a lot of my family couldn't make it for the actual Christmas celebrations and are coming this week. I mostly want pics of my godson to include, but in the meantime, Kate posted this list on her blog, and I like the idea of checking off the things you've already done. Maybe in five years I'll come back to it and see what I've been able to add.

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. seen in person the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables I don't have much of a green thumb, but my grandma has always had a vegetable garden. I'm happy to keep my spider plant alive, frankly.
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch-hiked
23. taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden in a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or a sunset (both!)
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagra falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied I'm not satisfied yet, but once I start my new job I'll have enough to pay my bills again and feel self-reliant to a point I haven't thus far. My old job barely covered the bills, and this one should make a big difference in how much I can save every month.
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michaelangelo's david
41. sung karaoke
42. seen the old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. received a prestigious award
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistine chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling (probably isn't going to happen, I'm not a big fan of being under water and never have been)
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theater
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class (this one was taken care of since I was 12, and I'm now a martial arts instructor)
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. got flowers for no reason
64. donated blood, platelets or plasma (I'm not too bothered by the sight of blood, but I'm rather attached to my own, which is weird, because I have friends who are terrified of seeing their own blood who have given it. I may need to man it up (figuratively speaking) and just go for it at some point.)
65. gone sky diving (definitely on my to-do list)
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar (and blech, it's nasty)
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guards in london (one of the coolest experiences ever!)
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican (also on my to-do list, I want to go to Rome, and maybe hear Mass and go to confession at St. Peter's)
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating (I grew up in a rural area, and have helped my grandpa butcher cows, pigs, and sheep, not to mention that my dad and uncles hunt, so I've helped prepare deer and elk also)
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone's life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club (I guess if GoodReads counts...I've always had discussions with friends about books but we never called it a formal club)
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby (not yet, but something I'd like, once I'm married and settled down)
95. seen the alamo in person
96. swam in the great salt lake
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee
100. learned to play an instrument (I wish now that I'd learned to play the piano as a child, but I didn't. Now it's the violin that interests me)

I've done a lot of things that aren't on this list, so I may amend it to include some of the things that have been important to me in my life. Things like living in another country (Japan), getting a degree (want to go back for more, actually), becoming a godparent (twice, one godson one goddaughter), working in theatre (not acting, but doing tech, which I prefer), and having friends of all nationalities, beliefs, races, genders, and walks of life. I'm particularly proud of that, because I want to work as hard as I can on being tolerant of any person and their beliefs or ideals, so long as they aren't forcing them on others or causing harm to others by them. I think that if they are that way it's because God made them so, and we have no right to cast judgment on His creations when we have no fathom for the magnitude of his scope.

Holiday Preparations and a New Job to Look Forward to

I'm quite proud of myself, as of yesterday all my Christmas cards are in the mail and all the gifts I have that are ready are sent or wrapped. This past weekend my parents were out of town, so I took advantage of the time to myself to get all my Christmas cards done and ready to be sent. I also had fun wrapping presents. I'm only missing a few people as far as gifts, and most of them are merely on their way to me, since they've already been ordered. The only two people I have no idea what to get are my grandpa and my godfather. I'm also going to find out soon when we'll get our tree and discuss with mum how we want to decorate it. She wants to sort through our ornaments and see if there's anything broken or not worth keeping for any other reason, as well as lights that may not work and garlands that are too old and worn, and so forth. We usually do a theme color and stick with it, and then put sentimental ornaments to fill it out, and we haven't decided on colors for this year yet. One of my favorites was Red and Gold, though the blue and silver also looked very pretty, as well as the purple and gold. I think I may suggest silver and gold, though I don't remember if we've done that recently. There are keepsake ornaments, and things that my sis and I made during school over the years, and dad's Bronco ornaments. I kind of wish I'd gotten an ornament to put up from Japan. Oh well. We're also gonna try to put the tree in a new spot, perhaps the dining room, to change things up a bit and keep pine needles off the carpet.

I've also got some good news to report. I quit my job last week. I had put in my resignation, since I already had confirmation on at least one new job, and another pending, and then the company did something that I didn't want to be involved in anymore. There are specific laws regarding collection tactics for companies, and this company was breaking them fairly blatantly by calling multiple times a day starting as early as the second of the month, with two weeks or more left in the grace period for most customers, and also calling before and after the designated times allowed for calling. The customers, as can be expected, were very angry or quite panicked, and we were having to deal with a huge flow of calls from people either furious with us and swearing up and down and threatening suit, or else panicking and wanting to know what was going on, or else we were being expected to help participate in the calling, and having people swear at us about that. Along with being tired of being yelled at, I couldn't in good conscience continue to help this company harass people by means I knew to be illegal, so I resigned early. My parents are cranky, as usual, but I have money to last through the end of the month, and I'm still expecting my last check, which won't be a full check, but I don't care. I'm starting a new job as soon as the results of a background check come in. I'll be working on counseling with kids who have emotional or other problems, as a result of things like personal or family tragedy or broken homes or the like, sitting with them in school, helping parents with coping mechanisms, and making sure that if they're lashing out violently, they don't harm themselves or others. Better pay, guaranteed hours, and a job that seems really fulfilling. Not perfect, but way better than what I was previously doing. I can save more and hack down my existing bills before I go back to school, and I may even have extra to travel or something if I want to. I'd like to go visit my friends in other parts of the country and so forth. All in all, a good holiday season. I'll be home and able to spend time with my family, I'll have a new job to look forward to, and of course all the joy and blessing of the holiday.